The Biblical Overview of the Plan of God, Part 6

The Day of Atonement:  Who Does God Accept as an Atonement for the Sins of the People?

[Study Aired September 14, 2025]

We have come to the Day of Atonement, the fifth step in the overview of the plan of God, which plan is outlined for us in the annual holy day festivals which He gave to ancient Israel.

Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

These festivals are the types and shadows of the various steps that must be taken by all men of all time. They are divided up into three seasons, which tells us that there is a process of  judgment taking place in our walk as well as a progression in the completion of God’s plan for the salvation of all men:

Deu 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

2Ch 8:13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

Here is the link to our study on the spiritual significance of the number three:

Numbers in Scripture – Three, The Process of Spiritual Completion

The first festival was in the Spring and was called the Passover. The Passover signified the offering of the Lamb of God for our sins. Passover is immediately followed by the days of unleavened bread. Leaven in this case signifies the sin in our lives, which sins we are to immediately begin putting out of our lives. On the day after the sabbath during the seven days of unleavened bread, a wave sheaf of the barley harvest was offered as the first of the firstfruits to God. This first firstfruit wave sheaf typified “Christ, our Passover” (1Co 5:7) as the first of the firstfruits to God and as the covering for our sins.

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

We also saw in our last study that this wave sheaf of the barley harvest was not the only “firstfruits unto God” (Jas 1:18).

Fifty days after the sabbath during the days of unleavened bread there was to be another firstfruit wave offering of the Summer wheat harvest. This wave offering of the Summer wheat harvest was to be the firstfruits of Christ’s labors at Passover. Here is what we are told of this second firstfruit harvest:

Exo 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

Here is the New Testament fulfillment of this second firstfruit harvest:

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

So we see that there are two separate firstfruits, and these two firstfruits are separated the first from the second by 50 days/ We saw that Christ died on the passover, was raised up from the dead and ascended up to His Father on the same day that the wave sheaf of the firstfruits of the Spring barley harvest was offered up to God.

This is what we are told in Leviticus, of that first fruit harvest in more detail:

Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD  for the priest.

“They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest” refers to this promise in the New Testament:

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

It is the Lord’s firstfruit elect who this second firstfruit harvest at Pentecost symbolizes:

Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.

This second ‘firstfruit’ harvest is “the firstfruits… unto the Lamb”, and it is used of “the Lamb” in the same way as He was used by His Father as God’s firstfruit of the Spring harvest:

Joh 17:18 As thou [the Father] hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Christ was sent by His Father to be the firstfruits of them that slept and to atone for the sins of all mankind of all time:

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [Be atoned for by the sacrifice of Himself]

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

“Not for ours only” proves beyond any doubt that we are “a kind of firstfruits”, and if we are indeed called “a kind of firstfruits” by being in the first resurrection, then there must also be a later harvest which is not called ‘firstfruits’:

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the [first] firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming [the second, Summer, pentecost first fruits “for the priests”].
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the [harvest at the] end [of the year], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. [The last of which is death]

1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

If we cannot say “we [are] a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” and if we cannot say we are priests who are the first fruits who are “holy unto the Lord”, then we are denying who we are, and Christ will deny us.

Luk 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luk 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Just who are we if indeed we are given to say that “we [are] a kind of firstfruits of His creatures?” This is who Christ Himself tells us we are:

Act 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

It is Christ who tells us that those whom Saul of Tarsus was persecuting are “Jesus of Nazareth”, and it is the Truth of that statement, and the depths of the Truth of that statement as it relates to us, the Lord’s firstfruits, that we are looking at in this study on the Day of Atonement.

In our last study we read the verses in Exodus and Leviticus which make clear that all of the sacrifices typify Christ, who came and died to make an atonement for the sins of all men. We saw that as the Christ of Christ, whom He “sent into the world as [His Father] sent [Him] into the world”, we, too, are sacrificed for the sins of the world and are being sacrificed daily for the salvation of mankind, and we are to die daily for the salvation of all mankind just as Christ was afflicted and died for the salvation of all mankind:

2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

We see that the Old and the New Testaments both bear witness to the fact that the sacrifice of the Lord’s goat, that is Christ, is lacking something to effectuate the salvation of mankind and that the sins of all men are placed upon “that which is lacking”, the “living sacrifice” just as much as they are placed upon the Lord’s goat, who had to physically die for our sins.

Lev 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, [with Christ, “the Lord’s goat”] and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Lev 16:20  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

How does the scapegoat, who is “presented alive before the Lord to make an atonement with… the Lord’s goat”, accomplish that atonement? Here is how that is done:

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Does the New Testament truly teach that there is something that is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sins of all men? Indeed it does:

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind [lacking] of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

The apostle Paul is labeled a false prophet by some who cannot accept that his epistles were inspired by God, but for us that is not an issue, and we believe that when he tells us he is “fill[ing] up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in [his] flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church” that he is also telling us to “follow [him] as [he is] follow[ing] Christ.”

1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Paul is not speaking exclusively of himself. He wants us all to think of ourselves as the scapegoat which is “presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with [Christ]”.

Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, [with Christ, “the Lord’s goat”] and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

Knowing who we are, and understanding that our afflictions are as much a part of the atonement for the sins of the world as are Christ’s, explains what the day of atonement coming at the end of the Summer, in the Fall of the year, symbolizes. Ten days after the feast of trumpets, which we demonstrated in an earlier study symbolizes the judgments and wars that take place in the lives of Christ’s summer firstfruits, comes the Day of Atonement which shows us that we are those who are used with Christ to atone for the sins of the world. It is of utmost significance that we notice that the scapegoat, which bears the sins of the people “with the Lord’s goat” is sacrificed as “a living sacrifice” and is “let go into the wilderness” on the day of atonement:

We are now continuing to demonstrate what it is that makes an atonement for sins:

Lev 14:19 And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
Lev 14:20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

The sin offering, the burnt offering and the meat offering are all to “make an atonement for him…” Who is all these offerings?

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Again, who is Christ? Who “makes an atonement for him?”

Act 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutes.

Now consider what we are told we are to do along with our Savior:

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

The holy spirit admonishes us… “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing His reproach.“ The apostle Paul, who encourages us to “follow me as I follow Christ,” has just instructed us how we go about “going forth unto Him… bearing His reproach.”

Col 1:24 Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly, (REV)

It was Christ’s sufferings which were on our behalf, and here we have the apostle telling us that his (Apostle Paul’s) sufferings were also for the same purpose, and we are to follow him as he follows Christ.

1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,

The apostle Peter also admonishes us to follow in Christ’s footsteps:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Those words are read and preached by most churches, but not one in a million would dare to agree with the apostle that you or I following in Christ’s steps “fill up what is behind of [Christ’s] afflictions”, or that our following in His footsteps means that our “affliction… is for your… salvation.” Not one in a million would think that he could “save a soul from death.”

2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

The bodies of the beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the priest for sin, were “burned without the camp”, and we are told that our sufferings are “on your behalf”, and we are admonished “Let us go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Truly “as He is, so are we in this world”, and truly we are to “follow in His steps [and] fill up in [our] bodies what is behind of His afflictions for His body’s sake, which is the church” (Col 1:24):

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

The day of atonement is the day which symbolizes those who “make an atonement, and bear the sins of the people along with Christ our passover sacrifice. Those who are sent by our heavenly Father to “make an atonement for, [and] bear the sins of the people” are Christ and His Christ, as typified by the two goats as a sin offering:

Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar [which are all types of Christ], he shall bring the live goat [the Christ of Christ]:
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited [death, “the wages of sin” Rom 6:23]: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness [dying daily].

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death [Dying daily]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That being the case, this day of atonement signifies the function of those who bear the sins of the people and make an atonement for them with Christ. This is actually what we, the firstfruits of Christ, are repeatedly told to do:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Earlier in Leviticus 16 we are told that both goats, the Lord’s goat and the scapegoat, are sin offerings “to make an atonement with him”.

Lev 16:5 And he [Aaron, the high priest] shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
Lev 16:6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
Lev 16:7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

In Heb 13:13 we are told: “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach“. It was recently pointed out that Simon of Cyrene, who was “compelled… to bear [Christ’s] cross… without the camp”, was a New Testament type of this scapegoat who is also compelled to “bear His reproach, [and] make an atonement with [Christ]”. Indeed, that is exactly what this day of atonement typifies:

Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls [“For His body’s sake which is the church”, Col 1:24]: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Mat 27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

No one volunteers to die with Christ. “No man can come to [Christ] except the Father… drag him” to do so:

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek: drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

All holy days are sabbaths simply because we have no choice and no room to glory in any of the work God is doing to work out His plan and His purpose. It is all of Him, and there is nothing we bring to the table. That is the meaning of… “whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.”

1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

What this tells us is that every step in the plan of God in the life of every man or woman is a work which He is working in the very order in which it is laid out in the holy days. The passover lamb is the same as “the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell.” However, the atonement for the sins of all men is not made without both of these goats. The scapegoat is absolutely essential “to make an atonement with him”, meaning with “the Lord’s goat.”

So the truth is that Israel, by God’s design, is not cleansed by the blood of the first goat alone. It requires the work of both of these goats “to make an atonement” for the sins of the people. Are we actually told that we are to consider ourselves to be part of the sin offering which is made for the sins of the people? Let’s read it again:

Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Let us also notice once more that “bearing His reproach” is exactly what the scapegoat, the Old Testament type of “our Lord’s Christ” did:

Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

“The hand of a fit man” refers to Christ Himself, living within His own elect who are symbolized by the goat whose body is offered as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” As His elect, we are all, at this very moment, being “sent away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness” that is this world. The “land not inhabited” is the symbol of our death of the cross.

Jer 6:8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

Eze 26:20 When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;

That death of the cross is being borne by both Christ and His Christ as an atonement for the sins of the people.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

When we lay down our lives as an atoning sacrifice for our brother who has sinned against both us and against his Creator, with Christ in us, we have fulfilled the day of atonement just as Christ Himself fulfilled the passover as the first of the firstfruits. That is the spiritual significance of this “day of atonement.” This is not easy to do, and simply acknowledging the spiritual significance of the Day of Atonement will cause us to be hated of all men. We have been given mercy from our heavenly Father through those who have done the same for us. If we appreciate the mercy we have been shown, then we will not be demanding retribution from God upon our enemies, inward or outward. It is this “forgiveness… from the heart” which proves us to be fit to be a nation of kings and priests who will be capable and worthy of judging this world and then later judging angels.

This is the joy that is set before those who are represented by the day of atonement:

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The “saints”, “us”, and “we” in all of these verses are the elect who identify themselves as the four beasts and the four and twenty elders who are around the throne of God and who are called “overcome[rs]” in Revelation 2-3.

Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

That is what is meant by:

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

These are the firstfruit harvest of the feast of Pentecost. These are the atonement of the day of atonement. These are those who are called and chosen and who remain faithful to the end:

Mat 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

This scapegoat is as much a part of the sin offering for Israel and is “the Lord’s goat” and is “presented before the Lord to make an atonement with Him”, with Christ. What we are being told is that we are to drink of the cup of Christ, and we are to be baptized with His baptism as a living sacrifice to fill up what is lacking of the afflictions of the Christ:

Mar 10:38  But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

While being the firstfruits of the wheat at Pentecost is the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon any man, it is not an honor that is desired or attained except by very few indeed. This is just how popular this calling is which we have been given:

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Being called and chosen is not all that is required of those who are given to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection. There is one more gift which must be given to all who are granted to be in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”, and that final gift is the tried faith which will “endure to the end.”

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

“Endureth to the end” means that those who are in that blessed and holy first resurrection are faithful to the very end, as we read in these verses:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue [Greek: abide – “to the end”] in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful [“to the end”].

Conclusion

The spiritual significance of the day of atonement is the death of Christ and His Christ, “to make an atonement with Him.” Its spiritual significance is also demonstrated by the atonement which the Lord is working by the sacrifice of the Lord’s goat and the scapegoat:

Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

What is not revealed in the offering of these two goats, one of which is called “a scapegoat”, is the fact that this scapegoat, as “an atonement with [Christ],” has the same spiritual significance as the day of atonement:

Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

So the day of atonement symbolizes that part of our lives which we give to Christ and His Christ as a “living sacrifice”:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice [for an atonement], holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

There was much more to being an atonement than simply dying for the sins of God’s people. Christ and the apostle Paul reveal why the day of one’s death is better than the day of his birth (Ecc 7:1). This is why it is better to die to our old man than to live to our old man, and this is the fruit of the day of atonement, the afflicting of our souls:

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

Atonement brings forth “much fruit” both for the “living sacrifice” whose afflictions produce life in others, as well as the life that is produced within that “corn of wheat.” Those who are signified by the day of atonement will also be the atoning firstfruits of the first resurrection. It is they who will rule this world first and then judge angels. We are already enjoying the blessing of that first resurrection in down payment form:

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

It is the day of atonement and the giving up of this life which will give us access to that “blessed and holy… first resurrection.” It is only those who are in that resurrection who will then live and reign with Christ as the kings and priests who will judge this world “a thousand years,” to be followed by the judging of angels in the lake of fire.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection [“The resurrection of life” from the first death, Joh 5:29]: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

That thousand-year reign will be the subject of our next study, which will cover the spiritual meaning of the feast of tabernacles and then the last great day, the last two steps in the plan of God for the salvation of all and the fulfilling of God’s plan of becoming “all in all.” Outwardly and dispensationally, we will see what the scriptures reveal about how God will raise up from the grave all who have ever died, and how He will halt the constant influx of new “corruptible… flesh and blood” in the form of millions of babies being born every day. We will see how the aions will come to an end and God will, through Christ and His first fruit harvest, at last be “all in all”.

1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

[The link to the next session in this series is here]

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Isa 62:7-12 – The Redeemed of The Lord… You Shall Be Called

[Study Aired July 12, 2020]

Isa 62:7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Isa 62:8  The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
Isa 62:9  But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.
Isa 62:10  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
Isa 62:11  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
Isa 62:12  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Before reading the first verse of our study today, we must include verse 6 to give us the context for the admonition we are given in verse 7.

Isa 62:6  I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

There it is… “Ye that make mention of the Lord.” That is who we are. It is those who “fear the Lord [and] speak often one to another”:

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Those who “speak … one to another and fear the Lord” here in Malachi 3 are the “watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem” of Isaiah 62:7. The Lord is calling us His “watchmen”. As such we, His body, are commanded, “Keep not silence… give Him no rest [give the Lord no rest], till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

Isa 62:7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

If you and I are speaking to one another out of the fear of the Lord, as Malachi 3 reveals, we are not going to be gossiping about how carnal our other brothers in the body are. We will not be complaining about how badly our brothers in Babylon are behaving. If we fear the Lord, we will be speaking to one another about the Lord’s sovereignty over all good and evil. We will be expressing our gratitude for how the Lord is showing us what abominations are within us and how we are so very blessed to be dying daily to our old man and not becoming weary in well doing.  We will first speak of how we ourselves are struggling to keep Jerusalem within us pure and guard against every attempt of the adversary to breach the walls of Jerusalem within us. Then the Lord will grant us to also guard against the abominations of false doctrines which are also constantly assaulting the walls of our corporate “Jerusalem above, the mother of us all”.

Eze 9:1  He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Eze 9:5  And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Eze 9:7  And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
Eze 9:8  And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
Eze 9:9  Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
Eze 9:10  And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
Eze 9:11  And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

The Lord’s elect are the ones who have been given “charge over the city”. That is our commission as the Lord’s “watchmen upon [the] walls [of] Jerusalem”. Why would we as His watchmen be told, “Give Him no rest till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth?” Christ Himself answers that question for us in His parable about the importunate widow who is seeking vengeance against her adversary in the kingdom of God, which is within us.

This parable explains why we are told to “Give [the Lord] no rest, till He establish, till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth”:

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

This parable is a perfect example of how the Lord uses people and things, which seem to be totally unfit to be a figure or a type of heavenly matters, to make a spiritual point. The point being made is clearly stated: “That men ought always to pray.” This unrelenting ‘widow’ typifies us as ‘watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem’. Jerusalem is where the Lord’s throne is located within us, and this judge typifies our heavenly Father who will avenge us of the offences of our old man against the new man within us.

Where else do we see the Lord’s elect seeking vengeance against their enemies?

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Notice where the Lord’s watchmen are located: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem…” A ‘wall’ symbolizes protection against our enemies. Here is what Nabal’s servants told Abigail about David’s men:

1Sa 25:14  But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
1Sa 25:15  But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
1Sa 25:16  They were a wall unto us [They protected us] both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
1Sa 25:17  Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

There is a lot of talk about walls these days. There is a secular proverb which has a Biblical foundation. It says, “Good fences make for good neighbors.” The scriptures bear out that proverb because we are told there is a great wall around the Lord’s Jerusalem. Christ and His words and His doctrines are that wall, and He does not let anything that is defiled into His “Jerusalem”:

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Rev 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

This angel who is showing us “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” is just another symbol of the “watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem who give the Lord no rest till He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” These pleading watchmen are also symbolized by the importunate widow who will give the judge no rest until she is avenged of her enemies. The judge she is constantly importuning is a type of the Lord. The importunate widow in type is the same as the earnest ‘souls under the altar’ who are also importuning the Lord to be revenged of their enemies. This angel who shows us “the bride the Lamb’s wife” is the very same angel who shows us “the great whore who rules over the kings of the earth”.

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

The revelation of this great whore here in Revelation 17 is just another way of showing us “the image of jealousy” of Ezekiel 8:5 and “the abominations committed in Jerusalem” of Ezekiel 9:4. These all “are types of us”:

1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things (CLV)

This wall upon which the Lord’s watchmen stand is the Lord Himself and His words within us. We are told He is the same as His own Words:

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Those who know Christ and His Father have the words of Christ within them, and in that sense they, too, are Christ, as He Himself tells us:

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Paul confirms that Christ considers us to be Himself in:

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

This means that if Christ is our protective ‘wall’ and we are Him, then we, too, are that ‘wall’ upon which we are His watchmen who give Him no rest until He establishes us and makes us a praise for Him in this earth.

It is the same message repeatedly written. We are those who are symbolized by the watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. We are symbolized by David’s wall of protective men. We are symbolized by the avengers of Ezekiel 9, by the importunate widow seeking to be avenged of her enemies, and by the importunate souls under the altar, seeking to be avenged of their enemies. We are on the walls of Jerusalem importuning the Lord to help us fight the spiritual warfare which is even now being waged over the Lord’s Jerusalem, and we are not to give Him rest until He has established us and made us a praise in the earth of our old man.

If we are given to overcome the enemies of the kingdom of God within us, showing no pity to our enemies within, then in time we will be granted to wear a crown of life at the “resurrection to life” ruling with our Lord for a thousand years, bringing peace to this world for the first time in its history. We will then, one last time, experience what it is like to be rejected by those to whom we have given so much, all by the Lord’s design. That last rejection will give Him the occasion He is seeking to completely extinguish His clay vessel prototype and finish His work of making all mankind into His own image.

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

That is the glory which awaits those watchmen whom the Lord has placed upon the walls of His Jerusalem to importune Him to bring them to that place of being established and made a praise in the earth. When the Lord accomplishes this in us there will be no doubt who worked it all:

1Ch 16:28  Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
1Ch 16:29  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Truly “we are His workmanship” (Eph 2:10):

Isa 62:8  The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
Isa 62:9  But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

“I will no longer give your corn to be meat for your enemies” is the same as telling us that when our efforts are “meat for [our] enemies” it was really the Lord who gives us up as food for our adversaries. This is what Christ meant when He gave the dust, which we are, to be for the nourishment of the adversary:

Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Verse 15 explains what is meant by “dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life”. Eating what we have gathered and drinking what we have brought is another way of saying that we are given to be the serpent’s food. When we are finally given to “bruise [the head of the serpent]” that is when the Lord “will no more give [our] corn to be meat for [our] adversaries [and He will no longer give our adversaries to] drink [our] wine”. It is all accomplished by the Lord Himself, and by Him making us to know and Him making us to do what the Lord tells us to do. Until that preordained time His word, which is our “corn”, will continue to be taken from us and eaten by our enemies in Babylon.

Mat 13:18  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

It was Christ who brought the good news of the kingdom of God… “the word of the kingdom”. His words and His doctrines are the things to which Isaiah refers when he tells us we will eat what we have gathered and drink “in the courts of His holiness” what we have brought together. It is His doctrine, as well as the doctrine of John the Baptist, which teaches us that John the Baptist fulfilled these words:

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Take note that it is the Lord’s elect who also “receive of the Lord’s hand double for all [their] sins”. This is how John applied these words to himself:

Joh 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
Joh 1:20  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
Joh 1:23  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isa 40:3].

Notice again how the preceding two verses refer to “My people”.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Jerusalem is called “My people”, and we have demonstrated the “The New Jerusalem… the bride, the Lamb’s wife” is another type and shadow of us as the Lord’s body, which is the church (Col 1:24-27). These are some of the most comforting words of scripture, and they are addressed to us as the Lord’s chosen elect.

These words in Isaiah 62 are very similar to the words of Isa 40:1-3:

Isa 62:10  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
Isa 62:11  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Verse 11 is also repeated in Isaiah 40:

Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

The Lord’s words will never pass away (Mat 24:35). That means they are applicable in every generation (Mat 24:32-34).

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation [the generation reading these words verse 15] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)

This is all confirmation of the New Testament doctrine that those in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are the true “seed of Abraham”:

Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

An essential part of the “is, was and will be…  shall never pass away” words of Christ are those words which place before us the order in which every word of God will be fulfilled. Our Lord is a God of order:

1Co 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.

This is repeated in the very next chapter:

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

That is His order, and it will be kept. Christ is first of the firstfruits, “afterwards they that are Christ’s firstfruits, and then comes the [final harvest at] the end” of the year.

All of these glorious promises must be fulfilled in that very order, which means these great and glorious promises will be fulfilled first in the Lord’s Christ, His firstfruits, who will then be used as the channel of the Lord’s mercies upon all the rest of mankind.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

That is why:

Isa 62:12  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

This is confirmed by the holy spirit in the New Testament in the parable of the workers in the Lord’s vineyard:

Mat 20:1  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2  And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14  Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

The Lord’s order is reiterated in these words:

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

“The mystery of His will” (vs 9 above) includes the order in which that ‘will’ is being carried out. That is why we are told there will be a thousand-year reign with Christ by those who are given to have a part in the “blessed and holy… first resurrection”:

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

That is our study for today. Next week we will begin chapter 63:

Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Isa 63:2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.